Page 37 of King

“What’s your name?” Jade asks, stopping me.

I sigh but turn to face her, considering what joy she’s clearly brought to Vaegon’s life. “It’s Rue. Thank you for loving him.” I glance at the Alphas and give the Beta a small smile. “All of you.”

As I walk away, I’m halted again as Lucas’s rumbling voice cuts through the air.

“So, are we going to Faerie?”

I’m shocked to find everyone looking at Jade for an answer. Who is this little Omega that Alphas look to for permission? What is this world to put an Omega in charge of Alphas? Durin and I should have come here all along. I don’t know what humans are, but they can’t be worse than nobles.

The tension slips from Vaegon’s face. He smiles down at her, and my breath catches in my throat. It’s the same smile Durin gave me after I woke up from my heat.

Did Durin love me even then?

Nothing matters now except getting back to him. Vaegon is safe, loved, and happy. It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t the one to provide that. I can’t change the past, and even if I could, Vaegon might not have ended up so happy.

The pain of losing him will likely never fade, but I have Durin to love unconditionally and pour my soul into. I’m not ruined because I lost my son. I’m just needed elsewhere.

The seer can put her hand in whatever she wants in Faerie. Vaegon is safe from her here. If he wants to stay, that’s what he’ll do. Fate will just have to find another way to save our home.

I smile at my son and his family, ready to walk away content instead of hollow. Vaegon hugs his mates closer and looks over at the Alphas.

“If we go, we all go,” he says. “I won’t risk losing time with any of you.”

He meets my eye, and I wonder if it’s his way of recognizing my suffering. He may never see me as a mother, but he at least seems to feel empathy for me.

“We’ll need to speak to the others,” the fair one says.

“The seer told me to be back before a day’s time, so I’m leaving right now,” I say, glancing back in the direction I came from. “If you decide to come, it should probably be soon. You know where the gateway is. I’m sure the elves will have someone waiting for you.”

I turn my back on them and start off toward the woods, this time, without looking back. My place is in my realm, in my time, and with my mate.

Chapter 12

Durin

Vaegon said to return to the spot where the seer dropped me in exactly one week. I’ve been trying to get there for hours.

I wasn’t able to find Farris to illusion me, so I’ve been stuck navigating the forest in plain sight. I glamoured my hair to make me less noticeable, but it wasn’t enough.

Riggus, the queen’s tracker, must have been reassigned. He tracked me down, then sent for the winged bastard Nydal to do the hard part. I’m sure Nydal has been looking for a chance to get back at me after I scorched his ugly feathers in the dining hall. But he knows he’s not strong enough to take me down, so he brought a small group of elementals with him. I’ve been trying to outrun them, but Nydal is flying overhead and keeps calling out my location.

I could probably take them all out with a few flicks of my fingers. My magic has grown considerably since the celebration. My blood flows hotter. My flames burn brighter. But I need to conserve it. Inevitably, I’ll have to face the queen. I’m not sure if what I’ve gained can run out. And even if she’s weakened, I don’t know the extent of her abilities. I’ll need all the power I can get.

So far, I’ve dodged everything the elementals have thrown at me. Luckily, I’m faster than they are. My years of training have made crossing miles of forest easy. A few of them have alreadygiven up. The rest have fallen behind.

Except for Nydal. His flying ability keeps him ahead, hovering above and trying to spot me through gaps in the trees. I’ve been looking for thicker ones that will block his view. The dryad’s trees are the biggest, with their deep blue trunks and thick branches. They are my best hope, and I’ve been darting between them as I see them.

Now, I’m close, but the meeting spot is in a long, narrow clearing. It’s like someone took a big scoop out of the forest. I’ll be completely exposed if I take a step past the tree line. But the light of the day is fading. My only option is to just plow through and trust…

Trust what?

Fate? The dryads and elves? My own magic? I have no idea. I just know I need to get back today, and today is almost gone.

I don’t think I’ll have a choice but to use some of my magic. But I’ll use only enough to get away. I let it gather in my hands, but I don’t waste it on building a barrier. My attack needs to be quick and precise to conserve my power. I grit my teeth and take off toward the clearing, hoping someone is there to transport me away from the nobles.

When I emerge from beneath a dryad tree, Nydal catches my movement and shouts down to the others, “Over here! Subdue him!”

Some of the nobles must have caught up as I stared out toward the clearing because snapping bollus plants instantly spring up around my feet. Their stems thrash around as they snap their drooling mouths at me. The clicking of their sharp teeth makes me shudder, but they’re not worth wasting my magic on.

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